Can ADHD and autism be comorbids of each other?

Post Reply New Topic

I am starting to think I have ADHD as well as aspergers, are they linked?

I've read a lot online about this, and according to most ADHD and Asperger's can be comorbid. I believe this is true, as well; my half brother has ADHD and I have AS, although I think it's more likely that he was just 'misdiagnosed' with ADHD, as a lot of people have had happen to them; he's more like a person with Asperger's in that he doesn't make eye contact and discusses things that interest him at length e.g. he is fascinated with planes and can tell you anything about them.

Yes. It's very common.

Most books and online descriptions of AS/ASD list ADHD and OCD as common comorbid diagnoses.

Is it worth pursuing a separate ADHD diagnosis if I already have an ASD diagnosis?

My wife agrees with me and thinks I might need medication.

They can often be co-morbid. Officially according to the current DSM they don't occur together -they're mutually exclusive. The new DSM coming out in a month is going to fix that-make it so they don't exclude each other because current research shows they can occur together. They can also be confused for one another....some of the symptoms overlap. People with just ADHD can be blunt and have poor social cues (maybe due to inattention or hyperactivity) and people with just AS can be inattentive and disorganized because of the symptoms of AS ( ASD in a month).

Edit: saw your question about pursuing diagnosis. If the ADHD symptoms are causing you impairment and you're willing to try a medication to alleviate them then I would say talk to your doctor about it. You may not need a diagnosis. I'm diagnosed with both but the doctor who prescribed the ADHD meds for me didn't believe the ADHD diagnosis but did believe I had symptoms and could use medication.

Last edited by daydreamer84 on 09 Apr 2013, 5:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Just listening to very insightful lecture on ADHD. Normally I am anti cure when it comes to autism but f**k me if there was a cure for this I'd book myself in Tuesday morning.

Well, if you believe the diagnosis would benefit you then, yes- definitely.

It's worth it if your doctor agrees and you're open to trying medication.

Taking meds (Dexedrine IR 10mg 2x daily which I selected from the 16 drugs available after doing quite a bit of research.) for ADHD, on a scale from 1-10, has been absolutely miraculous for me. Perceptions change dramatically, improved focus, physical strength and stamina vs. weakness and fatigue, better coordination and fine motor skills and countless other little things.

I completed this test and took it to my GP along with a bunch of other evidence of my lifelong ADHD about 3 years ago. He now uses this test to help evaluate other patients and determine if they exhibit ADD/ADHD symptoms. http://npjuliecom.sites.qwestoffice.net ... NNAIRE.pdf

Yes, but it can be tough to figure out whether somebody has both, or just one. They have a lot of symptoms in common--differences in concentration and attention, even social skills deficits (in ADHD because they don't pay attention to the signals from other people; in autism because they don't understand them).

I think the best approach in cases where a person has traits of both is to just individualize whatever therapy/education/accommodations that person needs. After all, everybody's an individual and some cases are more complicated than others. Once things get complicated enough, you might as well just discard standardized treatments based on diagnoses and just use whatever addresses that person's particular issues.

The two are often intertwined and interchangeable.

Why not. It is the same as having a car with a flat tire and different engine. Nothing wrong about it. It is just a double whammy.

my husband is adhd but now that i have researched more on autism and know i have got it, i am starting to think that he might have traits of aspergers. heres a few points here what have made me think this, though i may be wrong about it:

-he seems to have a fascination with electrical items and likes to take things apart if he thinks they are broken (which can sometimes annoy me).

-he get obsessions with things like spooky houses or abandoned buildings, anything like that. when a building near the bus depot burnt down, he had a big fascination with it and couldnt stop going on about it and was dragging me out in the evening to see it. some of the other busdrivers in our bus company got a little annoyed with him, and one of them even said to him to back off with the fascination.

-he doesnt like social situations that much, but doesnt always like admiting it, though he secretly tells me he dont like it but he dont tell his friends. i really cant say if hes introverted or extroverted or inbetween or anything, he seems a mixture of all.

-he is very socialy awkward and doesnt have many friends, he only has one best friend and is friends with other people through him. he fails to make friends of his own, but because of hyperactivity he can kind of lure peoples friendships to him because he can be quite funny (as in ha ha funny) and so cant be ignored too easily.

-he can be very ''firey'', but it could be adhd, also he is aries.

-he is immature, but again might be due to hyperactivity.

these might not mean anything or just might be because of adhd, so im not too sure. but it doesnt mean adhd and aspergers cant be comorbids.